distressed 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of distressednext
1
as in troubled

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words
2
as in depressed

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

distressed

2 of 2

verb

past tense of distress
as in alarmed
to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy don't let all the bad news distress you

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of distressed
Adjective
The stocks are already down over 30% each in October as credit investors blew their yields out to distressed levels, doubting their business model of using aggressive levels of debt to build data centers. — Leonie Kidd, CNBC, 26 Oct. 2026 But Golden Goose isn’t the only luxury brand offering distressed shoes. — Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 26 Oct. 2026
Verb
Changes To Leaves Or Bark Yellow, browning, or dropping leaves outside of the fall season can mean a tree is distressed from drought, pests, disease, or lack of nutrients. — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 9 Aug. 2026 Jeffrey Tam, a lawyer for nine residents of the Wang Fuk Court, noted some residents decided to give evidence despite being distressed by the tragedy. — ABC News, 17 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for distressed
Recent Examples of Synonyms for distressed
  1. troubled
  2. depressed
  3. alarmed
  4. agitated
  5. reduced
  6. disturbed
  7. ruined
  8. distracted
Adjective
  • In order to ensure the long-term sustainability of major investments in stadiums and arenas, governments must first prioritise the development of the troubled local sports sector.
    — Martin K.N Siele, semafor.com, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Amy Adams is mesmerizing as our troubled heroine, with Patricia Clarkson as her overbearing mother and Eliza Scanlen as her mysterious half-sister.
    — Radhika Seth, Vogue, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of troubled
Adjective
  • Celebrated as masterpieces today, at the time they were regarded as the unpolished works of a depressed, crazy man and commercially worthless.
    — Joan Martelli, Time, 17 Oct. 2026
  • In the event of a severe winter or import bottlenecks, depressed storage levels not only narrow Europe's capacity to absorb supply shocks but also risk driving natural gas prices higher.
    — , CNBC, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of depressed
Verb
  • That move sparked enormous street protests in Israel, and alarmed many Israeli citizens overseas.
    — Daniel Brook, New Yorker, 24 Oct. 2026
  • The new company has nearly $80 billion in debt, with leverage of six-and-a-half times trailing earnings, a ratio that has alarmed investors and triggered credit rating downgrades.
    — Dade Hayes, Deadline, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of alarmed
Adjective
  • Yoko said her daughter simply tried to prevent an agitated resident from biting others by putting her hand around the person’s chin.
    — Hanako Montgomery, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2026
  • When the door finally opened, an agitated young man who resembled Ryan Gosling (Rett Keeter) shined an LED flashlight directly into my eyes, a gesture that would become familiar over the next hour.
    — Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of agitated
Adjective
  • Cleveland Clinic lists a long slate of possible benefits ranging from lower blood pressure and improved oxygen levels to reduced snoring, better dry mouth and improved bad breath.
    — Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Health inspectors found goat cheese packaged in reduced oxygen packaging, which is not permitted.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of reduced
Verb
  • Caruso is particularly disturbed about her intent to fire LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell.
    — Gene Maddaus, Variety, 27 Oct. 2026
  • An officer responded to PSA, and police said about two pallets of cards were stolen from the truck and a third was disturbed.
    — Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of disturbed
Adjective
  • Sitting on the rim of his consciousness was always cataclysm, the muted whisper of a ruined world.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 July 2026
Definition of ruined
Verb
  • And, on the eve of the election, El-Sayed’s primary opponent, Haley Stevens, distracted from the conversation with her left-field endorsement of Rogers that may have ejected her from the Democratic party and possibly a political career.
    — Mikey O'Connell, HollywoodReporter, 4 Nov. 2026
  • The first officer used her Taser twice on the dogs, which distracted them but did not stop them from attacking, police say.
    — Karma Sabbah, CBS News, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of distracted

Browse Nearby Words

distress
distressed
distresses
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Distressed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distressed. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of quondam

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Old-Timey Vehicles

The Words of the Week - Nov. 6

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
woman sitting on floor holding book in front of her face on pink background
Famous Novels, Last Lines Quiz Needless to say, spoiler alert.
See All